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Rules of Engagement (31-Mar-2000)
Director: William Friedkin Writers: Stephen Gaghan; James Webb Keywords: Drama, Courtroom A soldier-turned-attorney defends a disgraced Colonel on trial for ordering his subordinates to fire on citizens of a third-world country.
ABSTRACT
Ambitious Marine Hayes Hodges' dreams of becoming an officer are dashed when he is seriously injured in Vietnam. Years later, Hodges, now a successful attorney, must put his skills to the test when he is asked to defend Terry Childers, a Colonel who'd once saved his life standing trial for ordering his troops to fire on foreign nationals storming an American embassy.
REVIEWS Review by Walter Frith (posted on 7-Jun-2007) I had an acquaintance who aspired to be a film maker. He had worked on a number
of low budget Hollywood productions as an associate film editor and as
an extra in others. He went to film school and understood that
mechanics of film making. His favourite movie star, actor and film
maker was Warren Beatty. Upon watching one of William Friedkin's films
with him, he quipped at one point: "Typical William Friedkin
direction". He has a point. Besides 'The French Connection' and 'The
Exorcist', what has this man done that is really considered landmark
film making? Friedkin's career seemed to dry up after 'The Exorcist'.
Perhaps it was because of his frightful reputation for allegedly
abusing his cast and crew. A real life priest named Reverend William
O'Malley, who played Father Dyer in 'The Exorcist', administers the
last rites to father Damien Karras (Jason Miller) at the end of the
film after Karras crashes down a flight of stairs. If you watch
carefully, O'Malley's hand shakes as he makes the sign of the cross.
This was NOT acting. According to various reports, Friedkin slapped him
across the face to get him in character for that tragic scene and it
worked magnificently. Friedkin is also said to have thrown the original
music score for 'The Exorcist', by Lalo Schifrin, into the studio
parking lot in a fit of rage because he thought it was so bad. Credit
the 25th anniversary release of 'The Exorcist' on DVD for this
information. Friedkin never even came close to re-gaining legendary
status for any film after 'The Exorcist' and 'Rules of Engagement' has
Friedkin written all over it. The semi-documentary style of
photography, long tracking shots, and blistering performances make it a
return to the old days for the Oscar-winning director. Colonel Hayes
Hodges (Tommy Lee Jones) and Colonel Terry L. Childers (Samuel L.
Jackson) play friends who have put their lives into serving their
country. Childers has an important mission go awry in the eyes of some
and he has to go on trial for it. While protecting U.S. Ambassador
Mourain (Ben Kingsley) and his family, including his wife (Anne Archer)
in a third world country, shots are fired at the embassy through a
protest turned violent by the crowd and the lives of the Americans are
clearly threatened. The order is given by Childers for his men to
return fire and many civilians are killed. The entire fiasco is
captured on video by the embassy's camera and Childers is informed by
his superior officer back home that he will go on trial for murder as
it is believed that Childers opened fire for for no apparent reason! It
turns out that the military doesn't want a black eye and the U.S.
National Security Advisor, William Sokal (Bruce Greenwood), destroys
the tape that could clear Childers at trial and wants one man to take
the fall for the entire episode of events. Childers enlists the aid of
Colonel Hayes Hodges (Jones) to defend him at trial. Hodges' record is
shaky and he tells Childers he needs a better lawyer to go up against
the government's top gun and prosecutor Major Mark Biggs (Guy Pearce).
Other supporting players in the film such as performances by Philip
Baker Hall as Hodges' father and Blair Underwood as a loyal and fellow
officer side by side with Childers during the battle add little to the
film and this movie has a weird scope of academics about it. My eyes
were glued to the screen during the embassy shoot out and the whole
thing is staged very well. Another plus to the film is the research put
forward by Hodges as he travels to the scene of the alleged crime by
himself and makes some interesting discoveries. The court room scenes
are also very compelling but much of the film drags at other times. The
performance by Guy Pearce as the military prosecutor is comparable to
the performance by Kevin Bacon in 'A Few Good Men' as Capt. Jack Ross,
who prosecutes the case against two young marines accused of murder.
Guy Pearce is best known for his turn as the straight laced policeman
Ed Exley in 'L.A. Confidential'. He's an actor who is English born but
who works the American accent very well. 'Rules of Engagement' is one
of those touchy/feely films that may strike a nerve too close to
government that will make some disregard it and want to bury it. Its
entire structure is based on distrust of those in government and the
film will have a tough sell on many fronts as many politically charged
films usually do. It has a believable ending, crisp performances from
its leads and William Friedkin doesn't exactly set any new trends but
his experiences as a calculated film maker save this from being a
failure. It is a watchable piece of entertainment that is somewhat
predictable and is another film since 1998's 'The Negotiator', and
1996's 'A Time to Kill', that places Samuel L. Jackson's character on
trial, whether it be in a courtroom or in the minds of others. Visit
FILM FOLLOW-UP by Walter Frith
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